The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-05
THE SOUTH AMERICAN YANKEE.
Some Characteristics of Chill and the Chill
tans-Not Ashamed to Be Patriotic.

tans-Not Ashamed to BE Patriotic.
w. Curtis. in September Harper.
The Chillauo IS the Yankee of South America;
the most active, enterprising, ingenious and
thrifty of the SpanishA merican race. aggressive,
audacious and arrogant quick TO perceive. quick
to resent, fierce in disposition. cold-blooded and
cruel caunibal. He dreams of conquest.
He has only a strip of country along the Pacific
coast narrow that there is scarcely room
enough to write its name upon the map, hemmed
in the side by the eternal SHOWS that
crown the Cordilleras and on the other by 5000
miles OF He has been stretching himself
northward until he has stolen all the coast
of Bolivia, with her valuable nitrate deposits,
all the guano that belonged to Peru, and con-
templates taking actual possession Of both
those republics soon. He has been reaching
southwark by diplomacy, as he did northward
by war, and under a recent treaty with the
Argentine Republic divided Patagonia with
that nation. taking to himself the control or
that valuable international highway. the Strait
of Magellan the unexplOred country between
the Andes and the ocean, and thousands of
islands along the Paclnc coast whose resources
unknown. By securing the strait, Chilli
acquired control of steam navigation in the
South Pacific, and has established colony
and fortress at Punta Arenas, by which all
vessels must pass. Reposing TRANQUILITY now
in the enjoyment of the newly acquired territory
along the Bolivian and Peruvian border, and de-
irving an enormous revenue from the export tax
upon nitrate, the Chillano contemp plates the in
ternal discussions OF Peru. and waits anxiously
for the time when he can step in as arbitrator,
and, like the lawyer, take the estate that the
heirs silly enough to quarrel over. 1t is but
a question of years when only Peru, but
Bolivia, will become part of Chilli. and the
aggressive nation will want to push her eastern
boundary back of the Andes. and secure control
of the sources of the Amazon she has of the
navigation of the strait.
The Chillanos lead the Southern continent and
are the most powerful of all the republics in
America except our own. Their statesmen are
wise and able. their people Industrious and
progressive. and have that strength of mind and
muscle which is given only TO the of tenn
perate zones There is strong similarity be-
tween the Chlllanos aud the Irish. Both have
the same wit and reckless courage, the same
love of country and patriotic pride. Wherever
Chlllano goes he carries his opinion that there
never was and never can be better land than
that in which he was born; and although he
may be refugee = exile. he will
fight in defence of Chilli at the drop of the
hat There is something refreshing in his
patriotism. even If 1t be the most arrogant van
ity. Our people are becoming ashamed of their
Fourth of July and the Declaration of indie
pendence is the butt of professional jokers The
ChIano will cut the throat of a man who will
not celebrate with him the 18th OF September,
his independence day. and there is a law in the
staff. and every flagstaff to bear the national
colors on a banner by day and a lantern by
night. on the anniversary of the republic. All
the schools must use textbooks by native
authors and the bands play the cS8n positions of
native composers. and visiting opera and
concert singers are compelled to vary
songs of the country. It said that Frenchman
can never be denaronalized. ThAsame is true
of the Chillano. There has not been a successful
revolution in Chilli since 1888, and although
there is nowhere a more unruly and discordant
people. nowhere more murders and other serious
crimes, in their love of country the naughty
Don and the patient peoD, the hunted bandit
and the cruel soldier.
As soldier the Chillano is brave to reckless
ness and a sense Of fear is unknown to him. He
will not endure siege. nor can he be made to
fight at long rang, but soon he the
enemy he fires one volley, drops his gun, and
PUSHES in with his ''curvo." His endurance is
as great as his courage, and no North American
Indian travel so far without rest or
the Chillano peon, or "Roto" as the mixed race
is called AS the ''Cholo' in Peru is the de-
scendantof the Spaniards and the Incas, so is
the 'Roto" in Chill the child of the Spaniard
and the Araucanan Indians, the race of giants
with which the early explorers reported that
Patagonia was peopled-''menne of that big
ness" as Sir Francis Drake reported, that il
seemed tine trees Of the forests were uprooted
and were moving away" They have the
Spanish tenacity of purpose, the Indian endur-
ance, and the cruelty of both. Each soldier in
the mountains the desert. carries on his
breast two buckskin bags In one are the leaves
of the plant, in the other powdered lime
made of the ashes OF potato skins The coca
is the strongest sort OF tonic, and by chew
ing it the Chillano soldier abstain from
food or drink for week or ten DAYS at a
stretch. The Chillano soldier is not easily sub
jected to discipline. and outvandals the vanoals
in the destruction of property. as the present
condition of Peru Will prove He burns and
destroys everything within his reach that has
sheltered an enemy. No authority can restrain
his hand. The awful scenes of devastation that |
took place in Peru have nothing to parallel them |
in the annals of modern warfare. On the battle |
field nine-tenths OF the dead were found with |
their threats cut, and the Chiilanos took no |
prisoners except when a whole army capitular-
ed. They ask nc quarter and give none. The |
knowledge of this characteristic, AMI the fear of
the Chillano knife, was powerful factor In the |
subjugation OF the more humane Peruvians.